There are many options for feeding your honeybees
the most common of which is a syrup made by mixing granulated sugar or high
fructose corn syrup with water.

Making syrup

There is sometimes discussion as to whether the sugar to water ratios are by volume or weight. I find that it does not matter.
For 2:1 syrup I mix 3 gallons of water to 50 lbs. of sugar and that yields about 6.5 gallons of syrup, so the two are pretty much the same The below tables reflect the
sugar to water ratio that I use which are based roughly on weight.
I typically use a 1:1 ratio when I want to stimulate brood rearing and a 2:1
when I am feeding for survival. It appears that the table
below is slightly more than 2:1 because I disolve 50 lbs. of sugar in 3 gallons
of water and that yields 6.5 gallons of syrup. The "0.5"
extra gallon tells me that the mix is just slightly above 2:1.

In very cold weather I have
to increase the water in the 2:1 ratio shown below by roughly 17% (In my case
where I use 3 gallons of water to 50 lbs. of sugar, I increase the water by 1/2
gallon (ie.. 3 1/2 gallons to 50 lbs. of sugar). The below tables do not include
the extra 17%.

1:1 Granulated Sugar/Water Mixture Ratios

Sugar By Weight

Water By Volume

*Pounds

Kilograms

pints

quarts

gallons

milliliters

liters

1

0.45

0.96

0.48

0.12

454.43

0.45

2

0.91

1.92

0.96

0.24

908.86

0.91

4

1.81

3.85

1.92

0.48

1817.72

1.82

5

2.27

4.81

2.40

0.60

2272.16

2.27

10

4.54

9.62

4.81

1.20

4544.31

4.54

25

11.34

24.04

12.02

3.00

11360.78

11.36

50

22.68

48.08

24.04

6.00

22721.56

22.72

100

45.36

96.15

48.08

12.00

45443.12

45.44

2:1 granuilated Sugar/Water Mixture Ratios

Sugar By Weight

Water By Volume

Pounds

Kilograms

pints

quarts

gallons

milliliters

liters

1

0.45

0.48

0.24

0.06

227.22

0.23

2

0.91

0.96

0.48

0.12

454.43

0.45

4

1.81

1.92

0.96

0.24

908.86

0.91

5

2.27

2.40

1.20

0.30

1136.08

1.14

10

4.54

4.81

2.40

0.60

2272.16

2.27

25

11.34

12.02

6.01

1.50

5680.39

5.68

50

22.68

24.04

12.02

3.00

11360.78

11.36

100

45.36

48.08

24.04

6.00

22721.56

22.72

The below tables are based on a publication in the
Madison County Beekeepers Association's bimonthly newsletter "The BuzWord" by
Mr. Harold V. Green, President of the Madison County Beekeepers Association from
2008/9 thru 2009/10 and is as follows:

"You can use Fructose 55, which is very
convenient, and consists of 77% dissolved solids and 23% water, by weight. The
solids are Fructose 55%, Dextrose 40% and other sugars 5%.
That means it has a combined sugar/water ratio of over 3 to 1. If you
want to use this in a 1 to 1 ratio to stimulate brood rearing, you need to add
four parts water to five parts Fructose 55 by volume. In other words, for every
5 gallons of Fructose55 you use, mix 4 gallons of water to achieve a sugar/water
ratio of 1 to 1."

The following tables are an extrapolation and
expansion of Harold's information.

I prefer to feed my bees though a hole in the inner
cover. I use either a 5 lb. glass honey jars or
1 gallon glass jugs both with a standard "G" lid.
The 5 gallon jars are available from any good beekeeping supply house
but the one gallon jugs (used for pickles or vinegar years ago) are a
little difficult to find. I punch about 30
"Frame nail size" holes in a standard "G" lid, and place it on the glass
jug and invert it in the hole in the inner cover.
If the weather is warm I use 3 or 4 brick standing in their ends to form
piers and place the outer cover over that for 5 lb jars.
Otherwise I use an empty deep super plus a 2 inch shim for the 1 gallon
jugs. The shims that I use were originally used
to apply Miteaway II pads. Punched lids are
available from
Dadant No.
M00887 for about 60¢. A Boardman feeder are
normally shipped with one of these lids.

Hive top feeders sometimes referred to as a "Miller
Feeder" are OK as long as they are built so that they do not leak.

The baggie feeder is a very good feeding option
for warm weather.
I find they work best if the plastic bag is placed inside a 2 lb coffee
can then fill the baggie to the top of the can. Then
remove the baggie, cut the slits and place it on the hive. This greatly
facilitates filling from a 5 gallon jug on the tailgate of your truck.

I prefer to place a queen excluder on the hive and place the baggie on
it. Then should the need arise to move the baggie, you
can pick up the QE without
spilling the syrup.

The above "coffee can trick" is the brain child of a local beekeeper Mr.
Bill Mullins.

I prefer not to use
either a division board feeder or a Boardman feeder.

Division Board Feeders
fit inside the deep (or medium) hive body in the brood chamber where a
frame would normally be. So you remove a frame and put
the Division board feeder where the frame was. I prefer not
to use them because it is difficult to refill them. To
determine if they need refilling requires that you break the hive down
to some degree. That to me is a problem in cold
weather. Some bees are likely to be found drowned
inside the feeder. There is a "V" shaped screen wire
product and a variety of "cap and ladders" on the market that fits inside
or on top of the division board feeder that
will reduce the number of drowned bees to some extent.

Boardman feeders slip inside the entrance opening of
the brood chamber. A quart jar with a perforated
"G" lid (like the one I use for Inner Cover feeding) is inverted
over the Boardman Feeder. The feeder is hollow so that
the bees can crawl out, under the perforated "G" lid and suck out the
feed. That works OK in warm weather but not at all in
cold weather because the bees can not break the cluster and come out of
the hive and get the syrup. The syrup being
outside the hive can encourage robbing and can attract ants.

If you must use a Boardman feeder, I recommend that it be placed on top
of the inner cover near the vent hole and place an empty deep and outer
cover over that. The hive bees can get to it but other bees
and ants have a much more difficult time. You can
actually use up to 4 Boardman feeders at the same time if on the inner
cover.